Guest Flash Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 Have we, maybe, almost stumbled, McIntyre-esque, on a formation that suits the player? Kidd ------ Dowie ------Higgins------Marshall ------------Hutton-------Jacobs------------------ Harris------------Millar-----------------Russell -------------------Lyle---------------------------- I think we need the protection of Hutton and, particularly, Jacobs in front of the back four. Kidd and Marshall have the engines to get up and down the pitch from full back and Harris and Russell showed how dangerous they can be from the wide positions. I thought Millar did well when he played off Lyle, without any real defensive duties he seemed to get more involved in the game but is still capable of pressing high up the pitch or marking an opposition holding midfielder. Could be right. Millar not having to get back to defend might make him more effective. The second half performance was like night and day compared to the first. But then the formation he started with seemed to do well enough against Falkirk. It would seem to make sense to keep it for the next game, but that is Hibs away and it is probably unlikely he'll have such an attacking looking 3 behind Lyle, although I think it would be worth a go. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rjc-1988 Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 On the subject of midfield players i think this area is our weakest area by far. I may need to be corrected here but starting with Hutton - he hasnt scored yet, he hasnt struck a meaningful shot in any game, he hasnt made a goal for a teammate and he doesnt particularly protect the back 4. Now call me old fashioned but that doesnt add up to a match winning midfield contribution. On the positive he keeps the ball need and tidy but invariably deep in his own half. Millar hasnt scored - he hits plenty of shots but seldom on target. I cant remember him making many if any goals and he doesnt protect the back 4. Unlike Hutton i do think Millar can make a big contribution as a creator and scorer of goals but it is extremely worrying that this ability hasnt surfaced in several months of football. Jacobs works tirelessly and protects the back 4 very well - he is a great team player and gives his all . His passing isnt great and he doesnt look like scoring or making goals but he does give us fight and energy in midfield. With Tapping showing no signs of making an appearance our options are seriously limited unless there is a young player in the Dev squad who could step up? For me we need to make an acquisition or two in the midfield area or face more of the same. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monkey Tennis Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 On the subject of midfield players i think this area is our weakest area by far. I may need to be corrected here but starting with Hutton - he hasnt scored yet, he hasnt struck a meaningful shot in any game, he hasnt made a goal for a teammate and he doesnt particularly protect the back 4. Now call me old fashioned but that doesnt add up to a match winning midfield contribution. On the positive he keeps the ball need and tidy but invariably deep in his own half. Millar hasnt scored - he hits plenty of shots but seldom on target. I cant remember him making many if any goals and he doesnt protect the back 4. Unlike Hutton i do think Millar can make a big contribution as a creator and scorer of goals but it is extremely worrying that this ability hasnt surfaced in several months of football. Jacobs works tirelessly and protects the back 4 very well - he is a great team player and gives his all . His passing isnt great and he doesnt look like scoring or making goals but he does give us fight and energy in midfield. With Tapping showing no signs of making an appearance our options are seriously limited unless there is a young player in the Dev squad who could step up? For me we need to make an acquisition or two in the midfield area or face more of the same. I'd agree with all of that. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homer Thompson Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 On the subject of midfield players i think this area is our weakest area by far. I may need to be corrected here but starting with Hutton - he hasnt scored yet, he hasnt struck a meaningful shot in any game, he hasnt made a goal for a teammate and he doesnt particularly protect the back 4. Now call me old fashioned but that doesnt add up to a match winning midfield contribution. On the positive he keeps the ball need and tidy but invariably deep in his own half. Millar hasnt scored - he hits plenty of shots but seldom on target. I cant remember him making many if any goals and he doesnt protect the back 4. Unlike Hutton i do think Millar can make a big contribution as a creator and scorer of goals but it is extremely worrying that this ability hasnt surfaced in several months of football. Jacobs works tirelessly and protects the back 4 very well - he is a great team player and gives his all . His passing isnt great and he doesnt look like scoring or making goals but he does give us fight and energy in midfield. With Tapping showing no signs of making an appearance our options are seriously limited unless there is a young player in the Dev squad who could step up? For me we need to make an acquisition or two in the midfield area or face more of the same. Thats why I think we need to find a way to play all 3. I'd disagree with your opinion on Hutton. He started poorly but has played pretty well of late. You're right in that he doesnt put his foot in like Jacobs or make runs into the box like Millar but he does break up play pretty well and retains possession. I dont think any combination of two out of those three really works. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doonhamer doon south Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 I think the formation and players used was one of the best ones yet of the season. Do we put first half down to not playing for a few weeks? Does conroy fit into the team at all? With harris and Hutton playing much better than at the start of the season should we be looking to extend them to end of the season? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Distant Doonhamer Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 I think the formation and players used was one of the best ones yet of the season. Do we put first half down to not playing for a few weeks? Does conroy fit into the team at all? With harris and Hutton playing much better than at the start of the season should we be looking to extend them to end of the season? Harris is a season-long loan. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
19QOS19 Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 (edited) The more I watch the development team the more I like Pickard. I reckon there is a decent holding midfielder in there. I don't know what position he or Fowler think is his best but for me he's been most effective when playing in that role. He's received a lot of harsh criticism from a lot of our support but the boy hasn't been given a fair crack at it IMO. McShane is the perfect example of what happens if you stick by a player and give them a fair run of games. Persisting with a player doesn't appear to be something Fowler is keen on doing though, given that he obviously uses a tombola to aid him with his team selection I think Moxon looks a decent player as well, though he's nowhere near ready for us just now. IMO Pickard should either be given a decent run of games or at least loaned out to a League 1/2 side. Edited December 12, 2015 by 19QOS19 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weeredbook Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 iF that is true then the games a bogey .One of the worst players I have seen in years.He was at Ayr Utd and didnt look out of place, in one of the worst teams they have ever had . Cough...................... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homer Thompson Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 The more I watch the development team the more I like Pickard. I reckon there is a decent holding midfielder in there. I don't know what position he or Fowler think is his best but for me he's been most effective when playing in that role. He's received a lot of harsh criticism from a lot of our support but the boy hasn't been given a fair crack at it IMO. McShane is the perfect example of what happens if you stick by a player and give them a fair run of games. Persisting with a player doesn't appear to be something Fowler is keen on doing though, given that he obviously uses a tombola to aid him with his team selection I think Moxon looks a decent player as well, though he's nowhere near ready for us just now. IMO Pickard should either be given a decent run of games or at least loaned out to a League 1/2 side. While he hasnt had any kind of run in the team, I think hes had enough game time to see that he isnt really ready for regular first team football. Hes certainly nowhere near the level McShane was when he started playing regularly. A loan spell might be a good idea, though 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rjc-1988 Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 Mr X - it depends what you want a good central midfielder to do for the team. I would strongly contend that for Hutton or any other midfielder to go through a big chunk of the season without making a goal, not having meaningful shot at goal and not being noted for protecting the back 4 is a massive void. I agree that Hutton does play some neat passes and helps to keep possession but the main reason that we are struggling so badly is because the contribution from central midfield is very uninspiring and predictable. Mark Millar is capable of doing all of the above but I dont think Hutton is and while we dont currently have many alternatives I think we need to find a way to motivate Millar to be the player he should be and find replacements for those who are not doing what good midfielders should be doing. Failure to address this area will see crowds continue to fall and the team to struggle on with no consistent pattern of play. The Manager changes the formation at least two or three times every match and just when we thought we had a decent 3-5-2 formation against Falkirk it was back to the drawing board in that first half against Raith. The midfield consistently under delivers. When you look at our competition for 4th place it wouldnt take much to stake a big claim for the play offs - Raith looked very poor, St Mirren are well behind ( although change of Manager may make a difference) and Morton have exceeded all expectations but they look vulnerable if pressurised. Dumbarton cant be ruled out.With some midfield quality I think the rest of the team is decent especially if we get Hillson back but a continance of what we have seen so far will drive more and more fans away as exectations are very high after last season. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
palmy_cammy Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 Why has the size of our crowds suddenly become such an issue for some? Our crowds are poor and the majority of people in the town are frustratingly apathetic towards the club. None of this is new. We're getting dangerously close to becoming one of those annoying groups of supporters who moan about the manager not "playing the Queen of the South way". 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QosLoyal Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 Cough...................... Brownlie ? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homer Thompson Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 Mr X - it depends what you want a good central midfielder to do for the team. I would strongly contend that for Hutton or any other midfielder to go through a big chunk of the season without making a goal, not having meaningful shot at goal and not being noted for protecting the back 4 is a massive void. I agree that Hutton does play some neat passes and helps to keep possession but the main reason that we are struggling so badly is because the contribution from central midfield is very uninspiring and predictable. Mark Millar is capable of doing all of the above but I dont think Hutton is and while we dont currently have many alternatives I think we need to find a way to motivate Millar to be the player he should be and find replacements for those who are not doing what good midfielders should be doing. Failure to address this area will see crowds continue to fall and the team to struggle on with no consistent pattern of play. The Manager changes the formation at least two or three times every match and just when we thought we had a decent 3-5-2 formation against Falkirk it was back to the drawing board in that first half against Raith. The midfield consistently under delivers. When you look at our competition for 4th place it wouldnt take much to stake a big claim for the play offs - Raith looked very poor, St Mirren are well behind ( although change of Manager may make a difference) and Morton have exceeded all expectations but they look vulnerable if pressurised. Dumbarton cant be ruled out.With some midfield quality I think the rest of the team is decent especially if we get Hillson back but a continance of what we have seen so far will drive more and more fans away as exectations are very high after last season. Thats fine but it depends on there being better players out there, for one. I think Hutton does a lot of good, if unspectacular things. He isnt going to make a tackle like Jacobs or burst into the box like Millar but that doesnt mean he doesnt, and cant, contribute to the team. I take your point about the midfield under delivering, but if we played Hutton and Jacobs as holding midfielders and let the front 4 create and take chances I think Hutton could fit that role well 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doonhamer doon south Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 Harris is a season-long loan. apologies thought he was till January same as Hutton and heff 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Distant Doonhamer Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 apologies thought he was till January same as Hutton and heff No apology required. I checked after last night`s game because I thought he again did well. Still looks short on confidence but he has ability. I`m pleased he`s staying on. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
19QOS19 Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 (edited) While he hasnt had any kind of run in the team, I think hes had enough game time to see that he isnt really ready for regular first team football. Hes certainly nowhere near the level McShane was when he started playing regularly. A loan spell might be a good idea, though He's never had a decent run at holding midfield though, that's my point/the thing I would like to see. In the few games he's played he's been played CM, AM, DM and in one game he was playing near enough striker (not from the beginning, he came off he bench. I can't remember what game that was though, but it was at Palmerston and he was definitely the closest player to Lyle that day). I reckon we wouldn't perform any worse than we currently are if the boy was given a run of 6/7 games playing the holding midfield role. O/T slightly but it took me until 43 minutes last night to realise Jacobs was playing! I like him as a player tbh and I'm not exaggerating with what I say. He went in for a challenge near the half way line at the end of the half and I asked who the hell that was? Then I realised it was Jacobs. I was either extremely unobservant last night or Jacobs was extremely quiet, as he's normally right in amongst it. It was likely the former explanation right enough Edited December 13, 2015 by 19QOS19 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lyle Lanley Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 http://www.hibernianfc.co.uk/tv/latest 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Distant Doonhamer Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 (edited) http://www.hibernianfc.co.uk/tv/latest Thanks for sharing this on a wee teams thread. Edited December 13, 2015 by Distant Doonhamer 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rjc-1988 Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 This term holding midfielder has become a standard feature in our game - is it too much to look for good midfielders to be able to do a bit of everything - tackle, keep the team shape, create chances, get into goal scoring positions and score a few goals now and again? I fear that the role of holding mdfielder is becoming a slot for players with limited ability who are unnecessary if you can find some good all round midfielders who can do a bit of everything. Unless I am mistaken i dont think any of our central midfielders have scored a solitory goal this season and more worringly i cant remember any of them making the vital pass that has assisted a goal. I may be wrong in that perception but when you stop and analyse that ( if correct) it puts a lot of pressure on the forward players like Lyle and Russell who between them tend to give us a chance of scoring. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Flash Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 If we are going to make a meaningful challenge for 4th you'd think we are going to have to start winning more games against the teams above us. So far in 10 games against the top 5, we have amassed 7 points. That is 7 points out of 30. One win in 10 games. And the 10 games played so far are made up of 6 home games and 4 away. So the rest of the season has 4 home and 6 away games against the top 5. Our league position just now is a bit similar to McIntyre's first season when we had 22 points after 17 games and were 7 points behind 4th, but we had a game in hand that time. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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